Willing to Try
by eine.hexe
Summary: She was devastated after the loss of her best friend, he was a mere taxi driver who'd lost everything precious to him. Could two hopeless souls work together?
1. Willing to Try: This is our beginning

**Willing to try**

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**_A/N: So, _yes,_ another story, I don't know what will become of this one, but I've had this idea for so long (actually, a few days, but still)  
and I guess I just wanted to get it off my chest. Enjoy the read and please review :)_  
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The streets were especially crowded today as she fumbled through the hasty crowds. She couldn't call it misfortune, no, but her teenage life wasn't the luckiest, either. As lonely tears streamed down her face, she could clearly remember the words of her lost friend, Sango-chan. Clutching her bag tighter, Higurashi Kagome hurried so she could catch the bus. Yes, she'd overslept, yes, she'd been going _there_ again, but she couldn't help it. Not after the accident, no.

_Someday, this is going to kick me right in the ass,_ Sango, dear, strong Sango would say. And she'd been right, that was what made things so… sad.

Kagome thought that if she closed her eyes, then the ghastly sight would disappear, but no, she was wrong, it would always be there to haunt her. They were so young, how could they have known? Their parents didn't take care of either of them properly, so naturally they befriended each other quickly. Having the same problems made them share a truly unique connection, they were so close.

At first, yes, they decided to start making money themselves so they could at least afford a decent lunch at school. They would distribute flyers, yes, it sounded like a plan. The only thing was that after a few days the money they received were quickly spent and they both realized flyers couldn't buy school lunches. Not at all. So they tried newspapers.

Newspapers were harder to do, but they managed, and they did it for about a week and a half, until homework interfered with their jobs and they were dismissed. Yes, truly sad, but what was there to be done? Nothing, except to try and find other job. Kagome would look up the ads in the newspapers, look for ads on the streets, anywhere, anything, then she'd return home to a drunken father and a usually unpaid rent. She'd always stir him when she entered the living room, he'd mumble a few words, maybe open his eyes to look at his own daughter, perhaps even smile, yes, only once in a while, that was a feat.

She'd always frown, there was nothing for her here, yet she had no other place to stay. This had to do, even if she struggled. Sango-chan would always be by her side.

But the accident happened and Sango-chan wasn't there anymore.

They'd found the perfect job. It was rather dangerous, rather weird, but they really needed the money, and it was good money, so why not? The men never requested more, they were satisfied with watching them dance or having them unlace their shoes or listening to their jokes. They tried to be natural, it always worked, they received so much money for it, too.

That bastard, Onigumo, had seemed polite and considerate, they'd liked him on the spot. He'd joke with them, smile at them, invite them politely into his home. Yes, they'd been into their homes once in a while, but never for anything more than to entertain them innocently. Yet this man clearly wanted more, because after a while, he wanted Sango-chan out of the room so he'd be left alone with her. Kagome remembered the disgusted shivers she'd experienced as they'd explained to him they weren't for that kind of things, that there was a brothel nearby.

He'd grabbed her arm, it had hurt, but nothing had blistered more than her seeing Sango receive a slap for defending her. Then Kagome squirmed in his hold, protested against his advances. She was so revolted by his touches, by his attempts at kissing, she'd never been kissed before. Sango had interfered, bless her, poor, _poor_ Sango, and she'd paid for it with her life. Kagome remembered clearly how Onigumo had pulled out a knife from his pocket and thrust it right into Sango-chan's stomach. The girl's eyes had been so wide, so… horrified. The bastard hadn't stopped there, no, he'd tried to rape Kagome afterwards.

While she'd been trying to keep the monster off her, poor Sango was trying to stay alive, but it was useless. She was already losing so much blood, she was so pale, so bloody. Her once blue clothes were red, and Kagome didn't want to see it anymore. She closed her eyes, prayed for forgiveness, grabbed the nearest object and slammed it against Onigumo's head with all her strength.

She wanted to be in Sango's place, she truly did, yet she couldn't turn back time.

For what she perceived as a long time she just stood there and watched Sango-chan writhe on the floor after having called an ambulance and the police, unable to do anything more. It was winter, it was cold outside and the streets were frozen, it was hard for the ambulance to arrive and the place was rather secluded, what could they do?

When the monster started coming to, Kagome realized she could no longer stay there. But she wanted to protect Sango, she wanted to be there for her, to make sure she'd be safe. Yet how could she stay alive herself if she didn't run away?

Her heart ached, oh, so much, as she read her friend's lips beg, _Stay_.

She couldn't, it was the only thing she couldn't do. Kagome was so sorry for it, she said it, then left. And she'd regretted her choice every day afterwards.

Even now, even as she was walking down the crowded streets of Osaka, everything was coming back to her. The smells, the images, the voices, words. It hurt so much to think about it, but she forced herself to do it, thought that it was her penitence. Every day she would pray to the Kami above for Sango's unfortunate soul, she'd pray for all others and for forgiveness, even though she knew she didn't deserve it.

_Stay._

That word haunted her, gave her countless sleepless nights.

And of course, it had to happen. She missed the bus. Her lack of sleep was making her be late to classes again, damn, as if she didn't have enough problems already! Fine, so be it, she could just grab a cab, even though it was more expensive. She'd deal.

Unfortunately, Kagome could see no taxis around. She narrowed her eyes to her left and smiled all of a sudden – there he was, whoever _he_ was. But someone was heading for the same taxi, too, so she started running with all the speed she could muster to get there first, she was that desperate. The other woman that wanted that taxi was already opening the door, but Kagome got there just in time to rudely push her away.

"Hello," Kagome greeted the frowning taxi driver as she sat in the passenger's place when the woman she'd pushed decided to interfere.

"Excuse me, do you know who I am?" Her voice was whiny, she clearly had an attitude.

Kagome looked at her from head to toe, and no, she didn't know her. "Queen Elizabeth?" Faintly, she heard the driver laugh behind her as the bitchy woman pouted.

"No, you pesky little fly, I'm Tsukahara Yura," she scoffed.

Kagome's smile faltered a bit, the woman was one of the most famous and successful pop singers, but she wasn't going to be intimidated that easily, "nice to meet you, _my_ taxi, see you later," then slammed the door to make a point.

When she turned her face to see the taxi driver, her words got caught in her throat. He was… gorgeous.

"What'cha staring at?" … and had a shitty attitude. She sighed.

"You're what, a hanyou?" she asked as he started the engine, yes, he was clearly that, judging by the shiny silver hair, long, lethal-looking claws and adorable, endearing puppy ears on top of his head. He was a gorgeous male specimen.

"What's it to ya?" he grunted, well, he was certainly edgy.

"Osaka High School please," she requested with another one of her smiles, no one could resist her. Yet this guy seemed pretty much unnerved still.

"Right, whatever," he grumbled, he might have said more, but she had no way of hearing it.

"So, what kind of hanyou are you?" Well, she was trying to make conversation, but why did his fingers clenched tighter against the wheel, why did his lips purse?

"You're awfully curious for a little girl," he mocked, if he'd wanted to annoy her he'd succeeded.

"I'm not a little girl," she argued, "I'm seventeen."

"Oh, that's quite the age. You're allowed to, what? Go to the movies?"

"Oh, fuck off," she said out of sheer annoyance and crossed her arms over her chest, looking outside the window. Even though the trip to school was rather long and they'd spend at least half an hour together, she didn't have to like the guy. She'd just shut up, and he'd do the same, he'd leave her alone. Damn him and his inconsiderate words, she could do more than just 'go to the movies'.

But she'd sneak a glance at him every once in a while to watch the way his claws tapped on the wheel while he was waiting at the light or how his fleshy lips parted slightly whenever he switched lanes, and especially how his lovable ears shifted on top of his head, it made him look so adorable. Unfortunately, her curiosity was greater than her pride, she really wanted to know, "Are you a dog demon?"

"Half," he grunted, seriously, was this man always this tense?

"I already got that, you know what I meant," she huffed, she might as well pay him back the same if he was that difficult.

"Yeah, well, you never know these days." His eyes were trained on the road, yet there was something in the way he said it that made her want to hug him, he sounded so desolate.

"What? You never know what?"

"Never mind," he said, hoped she'd leave it at that.

And she did. Nodding, she clutched her bag, hoping she wouldn't be late for school. "Really, are we going to get there or not?"

"Geez, you're an impatient one, aren't you?" he sighed, he had good reason to, "fine, yes, we're getting there soon, no worries."

"I'm not worrying," she stuck out her tongue, a childish gesture, yet it seemed appropriate at the moment, because it made him smile and return it.

"So how old are you really?" Judging by the way his hair shined, his completely wrinkles, neat face, she was guessing around twenty or thirty.

"You're gonna freak if I tell you," he said meekly, she wondered what was with that.

"No, I won't," she argued, how bad could it be? She was prepared for the surprise. Nothing could shock her anymore, she'd heard it all, hadn't she?

"_Yes_, you will."

"No, for real, try me," she begged, it wasn't her thing, but she really wanted to know.

"Two hundred and twenty," he replied calmly, gauging her reaction, which wasn't quite what he'd expected.

"Uh-maze-_iiiiiing_," she gawked, she really did, it was the best thing she could do to express her utter state of shock. The concept was so hard to grasp yet so astonishing that she needed some more time to understand the meaning of all this.

"Huh?"

"I said-"

"I know what you said, _stupid_, but I'm just not sure I understand why you said it," he considered, cocking his head to the side like a lost puppy.

"I might have laughed at how cute you are if you weren't such an _asshole_!" she yelled the last word, punching him in the arm so that he lost control of the wheel for just a second.

"You damn bitch, are you trying to get us both killed?!" he shouted, he was entitled to do it.

"It's not my fault that you can't handle your toy here-" she fumbled for his name as she yelled at him, he hadn't given it to her.

"Inuyasha!" he yelled back in response, waiting for her next line. However, Kagome was done. The stupidity of the situation hit her fully and she almost wanted to laugh at how idiotic they were both acting.

"Okay," she said with a sigh, "let's start over. I'm Kagome."

"Fine," he said, "okay, I'm Inuyasha."

"I already know that, puppy," she giggled, oh, taunting him was so fun.

"Don't call me that!" he started again, they seemed like two teenagers bickering over something.

"If I want to call you puppy then I can call you puppy, and if I want to call you jackass, then I will, isn't that fair? After all, this is a free country," she pointed out, ignoring his warning growls. He sounded so much like a dog when he did it, too. Unexpectedly, he jerked the car to the left so she'd lose her balance and hopefully hit her head on something, but he had no such luck, the girl was safe.

"Oh, you're acting like such a child, get over yourself," she said haughtily, what was he trying to do, kill her?

"We're here," he said suddenly, the car stopped, her breath hitched for a moment. It was Osaka High School, a place where Sango would never be with her again, a place that would always remind her of their good and bad times. Remarkably, the whole trip in the cab had been decent enough, she hadn't had time to think even once about her tragedy, it was refreshing.

Kagome paid the taxi driver, grabbed her bag and told him to go lick some bones, it was so funny to watch him get mad and not be able to do anything about it. Kagome took from him something she decided she liked and figured he wouldn't need. For a while she didn't notice, however, what she left behind. She was too busy wondering about the strange coincidence.


	2. Willing to Try: Once more

**Willing to try**

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_**A/N: I've got lots of inspiration for this story right now, it seems. I know you might find Kagome a bit whiny,  
but high school girls tend to get like that when something bad happens to them, don't you agree? :)  
Anyway, this story is not going to bee to dark, or too angsty, or too long, so I hope you'll enjoy the ride, and please review :)  
**_

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Words couldn't describe the feeling. So okay, yes, she did know better now, but she'd tried every other job in the book. It just didn't work. They either said she was too miserable or she wasn't 'cut for it'. She didn't even know how she should be to be 'cut' for those lame ass jobs.

It was cool, it was fine, she didn't need those people anyway. The only alternative was to keep doing what she and Sango had started, but this time she was really afraid. What if someone like Onigumo would kill her too? What if one of those men got drunk and tried to rape her, forgetting that it wasn't part of her job? She ordered another drink.

Really, it was one of those nights in _that_ place. But when wasn't these days? She'd come to this bar religiously, she'd stay until very late in the morning, she'd go home and sleep a couple of hours then be late for school. Life wasn't too generous with her, but she supposed she should be grateful for being alive. That was not what Sango could say.

And, naturally, the pang of guilt that was always there slapped her in the face. She'd killed her friend. Not literally, but it was her fault that Sango had died. If she'd let Onigumo take what he'd wanted, if she'd let go of her innocence, Sango would still be here with her, she wouldn't have to keep coming to this pathetic bar, she wouldn't have to be afraid of her own damn job, her life would be all smiles again.

Instead, she was just 'not cut' for all the other jobs, and she just 'had to go on doing her job' while her father just 'drank a little more'. Things were supposed to be ironic in life, but she figured this was too damn much even for a sinner like herself.

Vodka was her usual poison, she'd drink herself into oblivion every damn night. The only problem was that no matter how much she downed, she usually didn't seem to get as drunk as she wanted, so the pain of what she'd done never really left her. It was cruel, really, but she supposed she deserved it. _Stay,_ Sango had begged, and yet she'd left her alone. Kagome, her best friend, had left her to bleed to death and had only returned to the hospital afterwards to learn that her friend was no more. The bleeding had been too much for the poor girl and she'd passed away. Time of death: twelve thirty-six.

Kagome glanced at her watch and wished she hadn't. Twelve thirty-six. Why were the Kami so mean? She wanted to make up for her transgression, but how could she when everything around her reminded her so much of Sango-chan? Lovely, friendly Sango-chan who'd always help her when she needed it?

She had another shot. Really, with the money she was making, she was stupid for coming here every night and spending so much on drinking, but Jakotsu was a sweetie and the drinks were sometimes on the house, in those days when she really looked like hell.

She paid and stumbled outside of the bar, trying to remember her way home. Her legs felt like jelly, was everything spinning around her or was it just her? She figured she was really fucked up I she already saw double, maybe even triple, and found she enjoyed the feeling just a bit. She tripped on her own feet and clung to someone, some firm arm undoubtedly belonging to a man, and she started laughing. Really, really hard with her head tilted backwards. Smiling at the man, she giggled when she couldn't really make out his face, but… oh, well….

"Thank yoooou," she said with another laughter fit. It was so so funny to see two guys instead of one and not to be able to discern their face. Sooo funny.

"Go home, miss," the old voice said and she laughed harder.

"Thank yoooooou," she repeated, laughing still. Maybe some part of her brain understood the fact that the stranger had left, but the situation didn't seem less funny. No, she decided she needed a cab. Suddenly, she found herself missing that hanyou, what-was-his-name-again _Inuyasha_. Yes, she had to find him.

She found the nearest station, it was a miracle she was still standing, but she didn't worry about that. Instead, she checked every car, opening the passenger door and inspecting the driver, calling, "Here, puppy, puppy," and, "Have you seen my puppy?" or, "Where's my puppy when I need him?" She didn't mind the fact that all taxi drivers were either glaring at her or giving her strange looks whenever she stumbled, but she needed Inuyasha. She liked making fun of him, she wanted him to give her a ride home.

"Inuyasha!" she yelled in the middle of all those cars that kept coming and going, "Inuyasha! Puppy! Where the heck are you?" Kagome threw her arms in the air for dramatic effect, she could be such a drama queen if she wanted to.

"Inu-"

"Damn, alright, I'm here," an angry voice suddenly shouted from her left and she turned towards the sound, ecstatic to see her puppy standing before her. Without really thinking, not that it was something easy for her at the moment, she ran and jumped into his arms, almost making him fall on his back.

The other taxi drivers were honking and cursing and whatnot, so the hanyou decided to take the clearly very, very drunk girl into his cab. It seemed there was no way he could get rid of her now.

"You're drunk," he spat as soon as she was on the passenger seat. The girl pouted cutely, her nose kind of red but not very.

"No, I'm not," she said seriously and his eyebrows shot upwards for a moment – she'd sounded really sober. But then she stammered on her slurred words when she told him she'd missed him. He sighed, he knew alcohol made people say really strange things.

"You know, I think you're kinda cute," she said with that cute pout still on, "but you should work on that attitude o' yours." Her hand slapped the back of his neck and he almost hit his forehead on the wheel, but he recovered from his surprise soon enough to prevent it.

"S-sor-eeeee," she said while laughing freely, clutching her stomach while doing so. The situation may have seemed amusing, but Inuyasha was missing the funny part completely. "I meant to hit you shoulder," she sort of apologized, and he figured he should give her a break. After all, she was pissed drunk.

"Why are you drunk?"

"Why do you care?" she asked, still unable to control her laughter, which was really pissing him off, since he knew she was laughing at him.

"I should take you home," he changed the subject, looked outside the window, "where do you live?"

"Around," she answered, finally getting a grip of herself. A smile was still there, but her stomach hurt so much from laughing that she couldn't continue. Still, it had been a good experience. A funny one, she'd enjoyed it.

"What does it mean, _around_? Tell me so I can drive you home."

"You know what? Just leave me at school, I'll sleep there," she said seriously, so seriously that he could have mistaken her for a sober person yet again.

"What?!" It sounded ridiculous, why would she want to sleep at school? "I can't let you do that."

"There's a bench there, I'll be juuuust peachy," she slurred, her eyebrows furrowed. Inuyasha tapped his fingers on the wheel and raised his eyebrows, this chick was so weird.

"Fine, whatever, if you say so…" So he drove her to Osaka High School, waited for her to realize they had reached the school, waited for her to figure out how to get out of the car without laughing herself to the ground and then assisted her in getting on that damned school bench safely. It wasn't an easy achievement, but he knew he'd feel awful if he left her here just like that.

He watched her lie on the bench with her eyes closed for a while then sighed deeply. No, she was crazy, but still too good for him. He shouldn't keep bumping into her and she shouldn't keep asking for him, that just didn't do.

Before he could get back to the car, he heard her yell, _wait_ – maybe a little too loud.

"Yeah?" he turned around, what could she possibly want now?

He saw her reach into her purse, no, she didn't need to do that. He smiled this time, told her it was on him and was surprised to hear her thank him. This time, when she lowered herself to the bench she looked like she'd really fallen asleep. Deciding it was her problem anyway, he got back in the taxi, mad at himself for already worrying about her.

The next morning came quickly and Kagome found that sunlight wasn't entirely good for a hangover. The first thing that she noticed was off about her surroundings was that it didn't look like the interior of her bedroom at all. It looked more like… a bench on the school ground. And it was, she'd fallen asleep on the bench, but how had she got here? She could just remember bits and pieces, really tiny bits and really, really slim pieces, but that was more than fine. She was fine, safe, never better, and she hadn't thought of Sango at all the night before. The alcohol had worked for once, maybe it had been because of her fatigue.

School was easy, she fumbled through classes, vowing that things would change. She always did that, always promised to herself that she'd change her life, but she hadn't even got over the death of Sango, how could she?

Ayumi-chan came to her desk again, it was break, why couldn't they all leave her alone?

"Kagome-chan," the gentle, maybe too sharp voice said, "why don't you eat something? You look ashen."

"'M fine," she mumbled into her sleeves, she didn't want to raise her head from the desk.

"Really, Kagome-chan, I understand you were close to Sango-chan, but she's gone, you've got to get over it," she whined. It was all she ever got, whiny, prissy classmates that wouldn't leave her alone.

"Go away," she mumbled, the sound distorted by the clothing she had her face into.

"Fine, but will you please come with us tonight? There's a party at Yuka's house tonight."

A party? It sounded fun, lots of drinks, lots of music, lots of dancing, maybe she'd forget about her plight. Really, she was pathetic trying to forget about Sango-chan entirely, but she didn't know how to deal with it otherwise. Guilt was devouring her bit by bit and she couldn't stand it anymore. Things were going rapidly downhill, and what if she remained this way all her life? She didn't want that, never that.

That's why she took the chance, that's why she decided to cheer herself up, "Okay, I'll come. Count me in."

"Really?" Ayumi said excitedly, "That's great, see you there."

Today her job was fairly easy. The man, Akitoki Hojo, was content only by listening to her reading him a poem. He sat right through it, never said anything, it was soothing. He didn't look at her strangely, didn't make lewd comments, he was just fine. A change from all the others that usually had wives at home and didn't want to literally cheat on them, but settled for letting young girls entertain them. This wasn't the best job for the moment, but it gave her the money she so needed, and besides, she couldn't find another one, she'd already tried so hard.

But no matter, no problem, she'd endure it, she'd bear the knowledge that Sango-chan wasn't there to help her with this anymore, she was alone in this. Maybe the Kami would some day take pity on her and send her someone to love and cherish and all that mushy stuff. Yeah, like that would ever happen.

The party evening came quickly and she was surprised at how easily the alcohol was getting to her once again. Ayumi kept asking her not to drink any more because she was already swaying on her feet and talking to people she didn't know, it was dangerous. She danced a lot, made a lot of guys leave the party blue-balled. She didn't care, she couldn't care as Sango was the only thing on her mind, why did it hurt her so much, why had it affected her so much? Maybe if she tried more she'd find a reason to be happy, she'd… _be_ happy. That was what she wanted most, it was what she promised herself she'd do whenever she downed another shot.

Ayumi called her a cab to drive her home, it wasn't Inuyasha and she found she missed him, she had only seen him once, but still, something told her he was alright.

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Inuyasha sighed, things weren't going so well for him at the moment, but when had they ever been okay? And to top it all off, he couldn't get his mind off that stupid little girl that seemed to ask for trouble and wait patiently until it found her. Why was he so worried about her anyway? It probably had something to do with how miserable she'd seemed last night, she'd drank so much, why had she felt the need? He didn't know anything about her, but really, what could be so bad as to make a high school girl drink herself into near unconsciousness?

Yes, he admitted, she was sort of cute, sort of funny in a weird way, he liked her a little. Well, maybe he liked her more than that, but he couldn't let himself try anything with her. After all, she was a _little_ girl, he was… a hanyou. And he was in loads of trouble, too, he couldn't get her involved. He wouldn't be able to live with it if he got another woman involved in his shit.

"What do you want today?" he asked the black figure that was waiting for him on the alleyway. He couldn't help being bitter, it was not like he was here on his free will. If it were for him, he'd fucking rip the bastard to pieces, but he couldn't. They'd made a deal. This asshole would not hurt anybody if Inuyasha worked for him. So he did, every night he did whatever the bastard asked of him, not matter how appalling it was. Stealing he could deal with, after all, what was another sin scratched on his list? Selling _stuff_ was okay, too, he could smell dying junkies from afar and would never give them stuff, so it was okay – as long as Naraku lay off the killing, everything was fine.

It didn't matter that Inuyasha was starting to hate himself even more for working with the one man that had destroyed his entire life, but he figured it was the least he could do to pay for his actions and the cruel way they had destroyed the only two persons he had cared about.

He could still remember Kikyou's warm smile as she lay in his arms, he'd promised to himself every time that he'd protect her, that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. Yet he'd let her down. And Kaede, too, his love's little sister, he could recall how they'd pulled out one of her eyes, torturing her so agonizingly, and he hadn't been able to do anything more than watch as they killed her slowly, excruciatingly. He swore he'd some day kill Naraku, but for now he wasn't prepared enough – the bastard had an entire army to protect him.

So he'd keep working for him to prevent killings like those from happening. People shouldn't die that easily, their loved ones needed them. He knew it, he felt it, why was it so hard?

"Just deliver something for me," Naraku said with a taunting smile, a smile that haunted him and shook his whole body with disgust. He wanted to know what it was he was delivering, but he didn't ask.

"Fine," Inuyasha said, "alright, I'll do it. And the usual, okay? Don't kill anyone."

"I'm clean," Naraku said innocently, raising his palms up in a sign of peace, yes, Inuyasha believed him for now, it was what kept him going.

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**_A/N: Just wanted to clarify something. Kagome doesn't really remember Inuyasha taking her to the school when she was drunk, so she thinks she's only seen him once :)_**


	3. Willing to Try: You've gotta be kidding

**Willing to Try**

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Her eyes were swollen and everything pretty much ached. Three hours had passed since she'd come home only to be greeted by the wondrous image of her father fucking some teenager on the couch in the living room in his drunken stupor. Kagome vaguely wondered if the girl was a whore or if she was just plain stupid, but she pushed the thought aside. It was too disgusting to think about.

Her clients had been unusually harassing lately, she was getting scared. What if it happened again? What if she'd end up like Sango?

Higurashi Kagome was a coward like that.

And this client was particularly odd. He kept looking from side to side, checking his surroundings, as if there was someone following him. Then he grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her behind a block. Needless to say her heart rate increased ridiculously as she pondered different ways to escape. In the position they were in, there was a small chance that she could hurt his 'golden nuts' but she could try hitting him in the stomach; maybe he'd flinch, and maybe then she'd escape. Just as her knee lifted a fraction, she found something being thrust into her stomach. Kagome didn't dare look at it, for fear it was a dagger or something sharp and protruding that could pierce her skin in the blink of an eye.

However, her previously tightly closed eyes opened slowly when she realized the object that was repeatedly poking her through her clothes was neither heavy nor hard. Looking downwards, she discovered it was an envelope. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, the only thing she could think of was a _will_. Whose will?

Her mind gasped, Her will. Maybe he was being funny before killing her, maybe, maybe…

"Would you take it already?"

The desperate voice snapped her out of her musings and she locked gazes with the trembling man. He seemed so scared, so much of a coward. Just like her, she was a coward. Her eyes lowered to the envelope.

"What's this?"

She almost yelled when she felt the man lean towards her and whisper something in her ear, but visibly softened when she realized he had no dirty intentions, "Here is some money for you, if you do me a favor." He leaned away and looked at her nervously.

Equally nervous, Kagome gulped as she opened the envelope, almost expecting something else to be in there. _Please don't let it be my will, please don't let it be my will._

Her brows finally furrowed when she realized how stupid she was being, _Time to stop acting like a pussy._

Time stood still as her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, the sum of money was ludicrous. She gawked stupidly at the anxious man, wondering what planet he came from. Suddenly, the services he was asking for were making her edgy. What did he need in exchange for so much cash?

"Umm… I'm sure you didn't mean to give me all this money, hehe," she scratched her nape nervously, smiling her big, fake smile that she always had when she panicked. He seemed to understand, because he placed a soothing hand on her forearm and she stared at it for a couple of seconds. He had dark hairs on the back of his hand, which made him look kind of dangerous if you didn't see his apprehensive face.

"I need a favor," he repeated, and this time his voice didn't quiver. Maybe her reaction had comforted him, maybe he'd expected her to throw a fit or something.

_With so much money on the line? Is he out of his mind?_

"I'm not going to have sex with you," she blurted out without thinking and their eyes widened at the same time when the meaning settled in.

"No, it's not that," he told her calmly.

"I'm not going to have sex with anyone else, either," she frowned, he would better keep it in mind.

"No, right, of course, your job doesn't include it. I already knew that." Good, she was tired of explaining it to stupid idiots who always craved more. But suddenly she wanted to cringe in fear. If he was not here for sex and he was giving her all that money, then what did he want?

With a worried frown on her face, she asked him, "What do you want me to do?"

And he answered, "You have to deliver something for me."

* * *

Hashimoto Inuyasha was screwed. He'd got to the 'date' spot, as Naraku liked to call it – he was weird like that, but the guy hadn't come. They were supposed to be switching packages – Inuyasha was supposed to give him some 'stuff' and the idiot Iwasa was supposed to be giving him some 'stuff', too. The problem was that Iwasa always chickened out at the last minute and Naraku was always pissed off. And, of course, he always took it out on Inuyasha.

Yes, Hashimoto Inuyasha was screwed.

He checked his watch for the tenth time in five minutes. _I swear, if I get him I'll pinch his fucking eyes out._

Randomly, the image of the strange girl that he'd last left on a school bench flashed through his sense. Okay, she was cute, even beautiful in an odd, _I'm-centuries-younger-than-you_ fashion, but he wasn't one to mind these kinds of things. However, the police surely was, and if he had to guess, her parents were, too. There was no way a normal parent in his right mind let his daughter hang around with some two hundred years old demon. Well, half demon.

_Why the Hell am I thinking about courting her?!_

Why, indeed. He felt like rubbing his temples to soothe the pressure but quickly realized it would look kind of stupid, especially with so many people on the streets. Then again, why had Naraku chosen such a crowed place for the 'date'?

_Cause he's a fucking asshole that likes to 'make things more interesting'._

Admittedly, he hated Naraku. Yes, he did with every part of his gut, and the bastard knew it, too. That's why he almost gave him the most dangerous and daring jobs, like sell some shit in a police station or punch some fucking bastard in the face right under the cops' usually oblivious noses. They usually didn't notice, but Naraku seemed intent on seeing him in prison for some time, making it clear that he'd bail him out at a certain point. Then Inuyasha would owe him.

Inuyasha didn't want to owe him anything.

* * *

_What the hell was I thinking?_

True, it had sounded really easy the way that guy had put it, but now she was starting to worry that someone would find her. _As in, the cops._ Her mind was working out several scenarios and neither of them ended up with a success. Still, if she didn't get locked up in jail or beat the shit out of or _raped_, then she'd live happily ever after with the money the guy had given her. For a few months, actually, since the debts her dad had were humongous and shameful.

_Thanks a lot, dad._

It was her sarcastic mantra, it made things easier. If she didn't stay mad at him all the time, then she could forgive his behavior. Partly. And she partially didn't want him to change. Her drunken dead felt like a connection to Sango, the life Sango had had, to the family Sango had had. If her dad changed, then the last bit of link she had with the dead, betrayed girl would vanish forever. She'd be all alone in her misery.

_I'm sorry, Sango-chan._

Kagome was a coward. She'd always been one.

Okay, so things sounded pretty easy if she didn't think about what was in the bag. It didn't help that she knew it was drugs, she wasn't stupid at all. The way the man had looked indicated that they were quite potent, too, the kind of stuff that would give you some good years in prison if they found you with it. Which wasn't a thought she wanted to linger on.

She clutched her bag that had the plastic bag full off psychedelic craziness inside it and increased her speed, anxious to get it done. And what if someone saw her? What if someone decided to check what the abnormally normal-looking powder in the plastic bag was?

_What if someone sees us? What then? What then?_

Her panic-filled moment was brought to a stop along with her steps as she came face to face with the last person she'd have ever expected.

* * *

_He's not coming,_ he decided. He was already an hour late, he was certainly not coming. _Not coming not coming not coming, fucking piece of __**shit**__! Humans are so unreliable._

And it was the girl again. Only this time the strangest thing occurred. Maybe it was his hyper-active senses doing a number on him, but he swore, he _swore_ he could smell her unique scent.

_I'm going crazy._

Yet his words experienced a swift death inside his throat when he turned around to face the object of his most recent denied desires.

_It's her!_

He panicked, it was only natural. And quite noticeable, too, if you stopped to look at him closely. Unfortunately, the girl seemed equally uneasy, so she didn't.

_What if she decides to start talking to me and won't leave until the fucking idiot arrives? What if someone's going to come and see us together? What if __**Naraku**__ sees us together? Fucking no, I won't let him target her._

He was preparing to tell her to fuck off when her beautiful, enticing, innocent lips parted, indicating that she would start talking.

_Okay, let's just hear what she has to say and then I'll wave her off._

It was his resolve and he didn't stop to wonder if it was the right thing to choose. The girl seemed tense, she kept supporting herself on one foot then the other, her hands constantly clutching the bag she wore on her shoulder.

"Umm," she said awkwardly, "so I'm here to… umm… give you… you know what."

He had to know, it was him who she had to deliver it to, wasn't it? Kami, she could die of embarrassment, why did it have to be the sexy taxi driver who was in this kind of shit? So was he a dealer or something or just pushed into this mess like she was? Honestly, she really, really didn't want to know.

Inuyasha's eyes almost exploded. So Iwasa had sent this tiny scrap of a girl to do the dirty job in his stead? The filthy little bastard!

It was becoming increasingly harder to keep in his surfacing irritation and frustration. He almost growled at her, "Are you friends with Iwasa?"

She gawked, "Eh?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms and turned away from her, unable to hide his resentment any longer, "Keh. You shouldn't be. The man's a fucking prick." He was jealous, too. The fucking coward didn't deserve to know such an interesting girl. Not that he liked her or anything.

_You're a fucking idiot if you keep denying that._

"Who are you talking about?" Her voice brought him back to reality and his ears twitched. He turned to face her.

"The shithead who made you come here," wasn't it obvious?

"Oh, Iwasa, you say…" What a nice name for a guy that had scared her at the beginning and then made her pity him. What a pathetic creature, that Iwasa.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "You don't know him?"

She smiled, rummaging through her bag, "Nope."

"No?" Could his surprise be any bigger?

"I said that, didn't I?"

When her eyes trailed upwards and settled on his, the now speechless hanyou gulped, trying to ignore the plundering fire that spread through his veins. He swore he could feel the air heat up between them with every step she took. She didn't seem conscious of her own actions, but she trailed a hand down his chest until it landed in his pocket. His skin tingled at the subtle contact and he realized he could take her right there and not care about anything.

_She's too fucking young, back off,_

His mind reasoned with him, but her eyes were so enthralling, her proximity was addictive. Distantly, he knew she could be trying to rob him while forcing him to keep their gazes locked, because he couldn't, just _couldn't_ look away. Instead, when she retracted her hand he felt a weight in his pocket and realized she'd given him what he needed. What Naraku needed.

Grinning at her and wanting to return the favor, he reached into his other pocket and grabbed the tiny plastic bag, eyeing her not at all indecent cleavage. Still, there was enough room for him to put the stuff in, so he did just that. It started at her hips and he smelt her increasing arousal as he trailed the plastic bag up her sides, brushing it just a little across her breast. He gave her his brightest smirk yet when he dropped the bag between her breasts and she yelped loudly.

Suddenly, he found himself having to react quickly as she yelped and swung her fist towards his face. Luckily, either her aim was off or he was just too fast – they were both inclined towards the latter – so she didn't manage to punch him. Instead, she stumbled and almost fell face-first, but he caught her right on time.

Their eyes met.


	4. Willing to Try: Change of Heart

**Willing to Try**

* * *

**_A/N: Hi, it's good to be back. Sorry for the prolonged absence, but I was out of country and when I returned I just... had one of 'those times'. I almost decided to stop writing, but fortunately I realized it would be too rash and irrational, so here's a new chapter. Enjoy. _**

* * *

The rain wasn't cooperating. Her raven tresses were drenched, as were her clothes, but she kept walking brazenly as if she didn't have a care in the world. This woman was neither mysterious, nor simple. She simply had all the answers in the palm of her hand, an entire path ahead. Her bag hung awkwardly on her shoulder and she paid it no mind, because her thoughts were filled with something else. She had her head full of plans and resolutions.

Was she too childish? Sango would say so. No matter how much time passed, no matter how many 'big' things happened, she just hadn't been able, for the life of her, to change. As if there had been something wrong with her, because she just knew her behavior wasn't the normal one. She would change. She could let go of the fear, the guilt. She'd say her goodbye to Sango for the hundredth time and then go on with her life. A new life. A better life.

TV had helped with this decision. There were so many people who had it worse – far worse. They died in genocides, were sold like slaves, terrorized, _people truly suffered._ Who was Kagome to act as if she was constantly under pressure? She had no right, none whatsoever. This was her wake up call. She would become a completely different person. Whatever bad or wrong thing happened to her, she would take the pros and simply ignore the cons while going with the flow. She would help people, guide others. Higurashi Kagome would become an example for others. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq. She'd visit them all fearlessly, help as much as possible. Africa, children there, orphans, she could devote her passion to those – they deserved life and freedom. She'd be their guiding light.

But there was no way to do those things all of a sudden. She had to plan and firstly graduate, then perhaps a college – or no, she didn't need one. If she only wanted to help, what sort of college could teach her that?

It was decided. She'd forget about college, finish high school then fly off to Africa and enroll in whatever organization helped children and Africans in general. Yes, it sounded like a plan. Was this why she felt so nervous, so incredibly anxious to get started? The butterflies in her stomach, what were they exactly?

* * *

For the last year, Inuyasha had been confused. His infatuation with that little girl, that jail-bait, Kagome, had become truly ridiculous. He'd gone as far as to spy on her weekly – he wouldn't admit that it was, in fact, daily – and what he saw surprised him. Or better said, amazed him. Kagome wasn't the same girl he'd met in his taxi. She'd cut parties and drinking, had joined quite a few voluntary organizations that raised serious funds for Japanese orphans and did not resort to those obscure jobs she and her dead friend had engaged in. If she wanted a general change of lifestyle, she had succeeded, but was there more to it than what met the eye?

Truth was, as silly as it sounded, even if he didn't know her that well, Inuyasha was aware that he'd love nothing more than to be able to cal this unpredictable girl his. Still, he could very well be her… grand-grand-grand-grandfather. That just put things under a whole different light. Honestly, the female demons he used to warm his bed at night just weren't enough, and he found himself with a bitter taste afterwards. It wasn't supposed to be like that, because before her, before Kagome, things had gone smoothly.

Besides, he didn't want to bring her into his deal with Naraku. If the bastard so much as touched her, Hell would break loose.

As much as he hated thinking it, the girl was most likely safer far away from him. And he wanted her safe before anything else. His fantasies were unrealizable, anyway. Who would look at a taxi driver who sold drugs?

But no matter how much he denied it to himself, he wanted the answer to be Kagome. He wanted her to want him. But it seemed the only thing she could think about now was school, those voluntary activities, and her new job as a waitress. She was a good waitress, really sweet. And unfortunately, it made him want her more.

* * *

What was she doing? It wasn't the first time he'd asked himself this. Inuyasha was still stalking Kagome, more so now that she'd graduated. She was suspiciously weird these days; he simply couldn't figure her out. She'd been gathering some signatures by the looks of things – what did she need them for? He didn't want to believe she had got involved in anything wrong.

So he gave her the benefit of the doubt.

But still – what on _Earth_ was she doing?

And it soon became clear that she'd spared quite some money, which brought the question – what did she need it for? Whatever it was, he hoped he'd find out soon enough. Perhaps it was time for him to show his face around again. Maybe stop avoiding the places he knew she'd probably frequent. Or even stop driving his taxi away whenever he saw her on the sidewalk. He couldn't stand the thought of not talking to her in almost a year.

A year? Holy crap, yes. It had been a year sine that… sort-of rejection.

_Their eyes met. _

_Kagome gulped quite loudly, her gaze glued to Inuyasha's face. His strong jaw was surrounded by free, silver locks that made him seem virile, untamed. Somehow, he was amazingly handsome and… manly, in a manner that made her want to respond in a feminine way. Still, he was a taxi driver that Kami-knew what troubles was into, and she was, well she was... late._

_Starting unexpectedly, she startled them both when she excused herself, clutching her hands against her chest as if she'd be tempted to do something else with them otherwise. She couldn't see Inuyasha's confused face, couldn't hear the thoughts racing inside his mind. She didn't know that he'd actually wanted that moment to continue…_

Then he'd decided to just stay in the shadows and observe her every move. Wasn't that stalkish? Yes, it was, and he had nothing against it.

Still, it was time to show himself, but not now; now he had to arrange something with the bastard Naraku. He'd got quite some leads on him, but he had to be careful not to be discovered. Why was everything so damn complicated?

* * *

Kagome made sure that the tickets were in her bag, dragged her luggage after her and smiled at the three people accompanying her. Ookami Kouga, he was the oldest of all the four of them and he didn't seem to like the other two men at her side. Miroku was a sweetheart, even with his mortifying habit of touching rather 'unpublic' parts of a woman's body, and the shy Akitoki Houjo was quite the talker. He could go on and on about his family's longlife medicine that would surely help those African children. At least he was genuinely interested in the little ones' future and welfare.

Did it bother Kagome that she had only managed to convince _men_ to help her? Not at all. Although she figured she should have asked that taxi driver Inuyasha if he wanted to give a hand, but she realized she would knowingly bring a distraction that way – the man was a walking sin.

These three guys however, they were harmless. She'd never feel tempted. Even with all the compliments she was getting from Akitoki about how incredible and resourceful she was and with Kouga's not-so-unintentional glances her way, she was safe. Of course she wouldn't pay them any mind and focus on their mutual goal instead. Thank Kami for her negotiating abilities. She had accidentally found a couple and their twin kids who had changed their minds about a trip to Africa at the last possible moment. Granted, it was to Sudan and Kagome had had in mind Rwanda, but she figured that as long as she was on the continent, they'd see what they could do to help anywhere and there would be no problems with going from one country to another. Luckily, that couple had sold them the tickets at half the price after hearing what Kagome's goal was. It seemed there was kindness in the world after all.

* * *

She was… gone. Simply gone. How could that be?

"Where is your mind, Inuyasha?" that disturbing, low voice asked and the half demon felt like throwing up.

"Somewhere far away from this fucking place," he grumbled, unwilling to disclose any more.

"Oh, does it have to do with that sweet girl you've been following over the last year?"

Boom.

Breath stopped working, birds stopped singing, wind stopped blowing. In Inuyasha's mind. He was probably even shaking, but he couldn't gauge his own state of mind. It was as if his wind pipe had been cut and he was choking now. No, not Kagome! The bastard couldn't have captured her. Was that why she had suddenly just disappeared?

Without realizing, his fangs escaped from under his lips in a snarl meant to threaten. Death was the threat.

"Where is she?" Inuyasha found himself asking, not noticing the low, guttural quality of his own voice. Naraku did, though, and while not intimidated, he knew when not to push the issue.

"I've lost track," he said and Inuyasha visibly softened.

_Where _is_ she though?_

She was off-the-radar gone. He couldn't track her by scent, because there _was_ no scent trail to track. Almost as if she'd crawled beneath rocks, or gone abroad. That was the most plausible explanation. Kagome had to be out of the country, which was ridiculous. He hadn't seen her buying any tickets – train or bus or anything else; she'd only talked to people, gathered signatures and gone to those meetings about her stupid voluntary activities. Kami, it was all so hard to decipher.

He'd only been gone for one day to solve Naraku's deal and she had disappeared. Was Naraku truthful when he said he had no idea where the girl was?

It was as unsettling as it was relieving.

* * *

It was getting ridiculous. No meant _no_.

"Kouga," she sighed, could he be more annoying? "Did you come here to help these children or to shamelessly announce out of your ass that I'm your woman?" Times like this she talked more like she used to. "What's the matter with you?" But she would not scream. It went against her new principles. She was a new Kagome, no longer whiny. Besides, they were surrounded by skinny children and couldn't simply throw a fit.

"What's the matter with _you_?" he asked back, raising his voice slightly.

"Keep it low," Kagome warned and he looked around apologetically. It seemed Kouga wasn't so much into helping those who needed it and she was starting to regret ever bringing him here. Now he wouldn't leave until he had her! The nerve of the guy…

"Kagome," he declared almost patiently, "you are mine and that is that." Without warning, he pulled her into his arms and kept her there, despite her protests.

"I am not yours!" she said equally heatedly, punching him in the chest. "You ape," Kagome hissed lowly, "let me go."

"I'm not letting you go until you say you're mine."

There was nothing else she could say, really, other than, "I'm already taken." It even smelled like a lie, but she was almost sure Kouga would be gullible enough to believe her. Eventually.

Reluctantly, though as if bitten, he stopped with a doubtful look in his sparkling blue eyes – he _was_ handsome, but not enough to spark her interest. Kagome gulped at the intense look the wolf demon gave her and cocked an eyebrow when he started sniffing like an old dog.

"You don't smell like any man," he remarked, squinting at the now angry-looking female before him.

"Of course, you moron," she snapped. "What did you expect? We've been here for months. Besides, he was away with business when I met you."

"What kind of business?" Kouga asked distrustfully.

"None of _your_ business." Truthfully, she simply had no idea what to invent.

He sniffed again. "You're a virgin."

At that, her cheeks became the color of a ripe apple, spreading all the way down to her chest.

"You pervert! Of course I'm a virgin – I'm eighteen! I'm not sex-crazed!"

"But isn't he?" the wolf demon asked, his voice betraying his suspicions.

"Of course not!" And here she was, defending this imaginary boyfriend, though in her mind he had already developed a shape and a name – his name coincidentally had to do with canines.

"Until I don't meet him, I won't believe you," Kouga concluded, crossing his arms over his chest. Kagome didn't know whether to feel worried or relieved, but one thing was for sure: she hoped Inuyasha would go along with lying to this annoying wolf so she'd be left alone. It wasn't that he liked him or anything, no, but Inuyasha was the best choice there was, being a demon himself. That was her reasoning, yes. Only that.

* * *

Okay, he was officially worrying. It got so bad that he couldn't sleep at night. Honestly, it would be fabulous if he knew at least where she was. Europe? America? Or was she in Australia or perhaps Africa? Though the last one made no sense. Why would she travel there of all places? No, maybe she was in China. She could be. She could easily learn Mandarin if she didn't already know it and make a living there. Or maybe she was just in another town, visiting someone and he was overreacting.

Inuyasha was worried sick.

Crazy thoughts invaded his privacy like leeches. What if she was hurt? Kidnapped, tortured, or worse – dead? What if she was dead? But it was ridiculous; he was letting his mind wander in all the wrong places.

In the meanwhile, he'd stolen some of Naraku's incriminatory files and he needed just a bit more to throw him in jail. He'd decided it was the best choice, because it would humiliate him more. If he killed him, the bastard would have it easy. Though it was difficult to sneak inside and get info like that, but for his safety and now Kagome's, too, he had to do it. Kami, when were things going to be normal?

A year had passed and she still wasn't back. Would she ever return?

* * *

It had got easier day by day, though Kagome was aware that despite her efforts she would never get to learn their intricate language. It had too many sounds she couldn't even pronounce, let alone learn – she'd never been good at languages. But still, kids loved her and she loved them back, though she didn't dedicate all of her efforts to them, as the organization she was in did. Instead, she worked for the community and helped teenagers and elder people, too. She had plans for their future, reasonable ones that had been nominated for peace prizes, but she didn't want fame. She wanted to remain in the shadows and keep helping these people – she loved the feeling she got from it. All the money she'd got from Iwasa, she'd given it to them. It seemed that every foreign smile she received could very well be Sango saying she understood, that she forgave her.

Miroku was a true natural; he was so devoted to the little ones, even taught them different sports, especially volleyball – he was amazing at volleyball. Houjo was a sweetheart, too. He took care of the ill and injured children, he was pretty good at that. The best part was that Miroku had learned their language perfectly, and Houjo was doing pretty well, too, whereas Kagome was still fumbling for words, but it was easy for them all to interact with the kids.

The only real problem was Kouga. He was entirely too impatient with children, so he dealt with the logistics and technical issues instead. But it was obvious that he couldn't wait to go back and meet Kagome's boyfriend – he kept throwing hints. They'd have to return for a while, Kagome was well aware of it, but she tried stalling as much as possible.

The way the sun shined, she loved it. The way the children smiled, she loved it. The way her skin looked when the moon glowed, Kagome loved that too, here. She was happy like she'd never been and she didn't care about her father for the first time in long – she'd stopped answering his calls the moment she'd stepped foot on that plane.

Romance? She didn't need it. No, she was fine without it, although her thoughts drifted many times towards a certain taxi driver that was far away. If possible, she'd remain here for the rest of her life. She even liked the days when she was too tired to move a bone, yet the ever-active children, who loved her so, dragged her outside to play. She loved them, loved the people, loved her modest cottage, and loved working her ass from dawn till dusk and not keeping half of the money she earned. Kagome only kept enough for her daily needs – the rest she gave away. The same did Miroku; she had a really special relationship with him. They were like brothers and he sometimes reminded her of Sango.

Her friend was most likely proud of her, wherever she was.

* * *

He'd checked plane lists for arrivals for the last months, but there had been no results until now. Even if it was kind of desperate, he'd wait for her at the airport. She was finally coming back, and from where! Africa, no less! He had crossed that out of his list of possible places firstly. She truly was remarkable, this woman. Was she changed? A different person? He guessed she probably was.

Butterflies in the stomach were not exactly his thing, but here he was, host to thousands, most likely.

And finally, her mesmerizing scent that captivated him and almost made him drool made way to his nostrils. Among the many people flocking out towards the doors there she was, truly beautiful, tanned, sparkling, and smiling gorgeously. And she was with… three men. Two of them she kissed goodbye on their cheeks before they made their way through the crowds, but there was one still at her side, was he her lover?

He smelt like a wolf demon – totally disgusting as far as Inuyasha was concerned – and just the stench made the half demon's blood boil. But Kagome refused to let the mangy wolf carry her luggage and she even frowned at him a couple of times, which calmed Inuyasha's sizzling nerves. They were heading toward him and he was determined not to let the wolf get in his way.

Not very subtly, he appeared in front of the twosome, all but growling at the male accompanying the woman. _She_ froze at seeing the half demon appear out of nowhere, but wasted no time in convincing Kouga.

Shamelessly, without thinking of any consequences, Kagome let her luggage fall to the ground and ran to Inuyasha, who looked puzzled by her actions. Without risking saying anything, lest Kouga would hear it due to his demonic traits, she pulled the half demon into a passionate, wet kiss that stole their breaths away and had their toes curling in their shoes. She remembered that something like this could have happened the last time she'd seen him if she hadn't fled. She'd felt it in her veins then, but hadn't been prepared for such a step. Now, however, it was a special situation. A desperate one.

Inuyasha was currently experiencing the overwhelming feeling of not wanting to let go. Whatever made her behave like this was welcome – he loved the smell of her skin, the texture of her tongue. Their kiss was as if they'd done this countless times before.

When they finally pulled apart, the first thing she said was, "I missed you" and instantly realized it wasn't a lie. Subtly, she sent him a look that clearly stated she wanted to get rid of the wolf and he instantly caught her strategy. Strangely, he wasn't hurt in the least. She must have felt something for him – even something insignificant – if she had chosen _him_ to confuse the wolf. Besides, her kiss spoke volumes.

"He's Inuyasha," Kagome told the frowning Kouga.

"Uh-huh," the demon interjected, looking away dejectedly, but Kagome couldn't find it in her to feel sorry for him.

"Yeah, nice to meet ya, wolf," Inuyasha said. "Here, let me help you with these," he offered to Kagome, confident she would let _him_, and the gorgeous _woman_ predictably accepted, proving a point to the now angry full demon.

"Goodbye Kouga," she said with a forced smile and heard him say the same before walking away.

Finally she could sigh in relief before addressing Inuyasha,

"You know, I really did kind of miss you."

"I missed you too," he disclosed while dragging her wheeled luggage and she glanced at him curiously for a second, before looking ahead and letting him lead the way. She was finally home.


	5. Willing to Try: The threat

**Willing to Try**

* * *

They called her Do-it-all. In a week she became head of the same foundation she had worked for in Africa, but this time it was home, in Japan. Africa had taught her so many things, laws of survival even, but here she could focus more on the needy and not on _her_ needs, as well. She'd changed so much; even Inuyasha had told her so.

Inuyasha was now a constant in her life. He gave her free lifts with his taxi, and she'd meet him in the strangest places; he was always there to pick her up. If she didn't know better, she would say he was stalking her. But the idea of him being her stalker didn't disturb her; on the contrary, it seemed pretty romantic. Ignoring the fact that he was waaay older than she, Kagome was sure that if they ever decided to have a relationship it would be amazing. She was past the point of denial; the taxi driver was much too sexy and sweet for her to ignore him.

Pursing her lips, she listened to the annoying Houjo on the other side of the conversation.

"And if I show you my new method of curing it, you're going to be impressed."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome did her best not to show how bored she was. "That's very nice, Houjo. Say, did you receive any calls from our regulars?"

"The sponsors?"

"Yup, them. Did they call you?"

There was a strange noise on the other side, then a moment of silence, then, "Why would they call _me_?"

Shrugging, even though the man she was speaking to couldn't see it, Kagome had a hard time talking on the phone while trying to fish for her keys in her huge bag. "Well, I can't help but get the feeling that we're being sabotaged."

Sabotaged was a big word.

"Don't be silly, Higurashi-san," Houjo said. "Who would sabotage a charity foundation? Besides, we're not the biggest in the business. If they really wanted to sabotage anyone, that would be HelpCo, not us."

The moment she entered her modest apartment, Kagome stopped paying attention. The keys dropped from her hands and it was a miracle the phone was still in her clutch and not on the floor.

Gathering her senses, she walked past the mass of her clothes thrown on the hardwood floor. "You'd be surprised," she told Houjo quite dazedly, inspecting the damage. On the kitchen counter there was a note with very ugly and messy writing.

_This is a warning._

_for I~_

"Listen, I gotta go. Come tomorrow to the meeting. And you can bring that little girl you said you found on the streets. Is she staying with you?" Now was not the time to panic, and Kagome told herself it was better to stay in control. She hoped her voice wasn't quivering.

"Yes, she's staying with my mom, actually. Kagome? You sound very…"

"I'm okay, Houjo. See you tomorrow. Bring the docs," she reminded him as she checked if all her paperwork was intact. She was relieved to see it was.

_Thank God…_

"I will. If you're sure you're okay…"

"Bye, Houjo," she said and hung up, annoyed with his irritating nature. She was just about to walk down to the police station when the last person she was thinking of at the moment called her.

"So?" she asked, already having seen who it was.

"I arranged it," a gruff voice announced, none too happy.

Kagome almost jumped in elation. "You're the best, Inuyasha!"

She could almost hear the smirk in his voice. "Yeah, but you owe me."

"So how did they take it?"

_Naraku_ had taken it pretty badly, but Inuyasha was not going to tell her that. His pals, on the other hand, had been quite ecstatic. They needed some cash anyway, and the conference room was almost always empty, so why not lend it to a charity foundation for a week? Truth be told, Inuyasha was far from happy to have Kagome spend time so close to Naraku, but it couldn't be helped. He'd tried anywhere else; _she_ had tried anywhere else, as well, and this was the only solution.

"They're happy to have you," he told her, wondering what sort of complications would arise with this occasion.

"Good, good. I talked to Houjo. He says no one's called him yet." By now, Inuyasha knew every detail of everything she did. He liked to call her and listen to her talk incessantly, because she obviously liked to do that, and from time to time he threw in a little info about himself, just so she wouldn't feel like she was the only one talking about personal stuff. Their friendship had developed quite a lot, but Inuyasha was starting to see her more and more like an ideal woman and mother to his future children, which was an extra problem added to his long list of issues to deal with. And the fact that he wanted to grab her and carry her away every time he saw her didn't help, either.

"Maybe you should call them. You know… be a little bit more… _unrelenting_."

"Inuyasha, you don't know my sponsors," she said, rolling her eyes. If she'd thought it appropriate to insist, she'd have done it long ago, but being persistent would only damage their relations. Kagome did not want to lose the only regular sponsors she had.

"Okay, let's say they won't call you for a couple months. What are you gonna do? Stay there on your ass and wait forever?"

"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"What? You know I'm right," he said cockily. Surprisingly, Kagome smiled. She liked this side of him.

"You know what? You're right. I'm going to give them a call."

"Okay. Then I'll-"

"No, wait!" Even if it was none of his business, she felt the need to tell him. "I was going down to the police station. I was wondering…" actually, she wasn't, but now it seemed like a good idea, "if you'd like to accompany me. I don't feel like going there alone."

Right on cue, the worried tone seeped into Inuyasha's voice. "What happened?"

"My apartment was vandalized. I don't think they stole anything, but I got a note." And a creepy one, too, because it wasn't even for her. "Anyway, it could be a mistake. It's not for me, the note."

"Read it," he urged, a dreadful feeling twisting his guts.

"It's a short one. It says, This is a warning. And it's signed, for I~. Whoever I is." She rolled her eyes. People could be so vague…

On the other side, Inuyasha was almost trembling. It was Naraku. He'd got Kagome involved and it was making Inuyasha sick. If he touched her, he'd die.

"Listen, don't go to the police."

Kagome blinked at the phone. "Huh?"

"Stay there."

"But-"

"Stay. There. I'm coming to get you."

"Coming to get me? But Inuyasha, I don't-"

"You're going to live with me," he decided and it was final, judging by the prompt way he hung up right afterwards. Dazed, Kagome waited for him to appear, and it didn't even take 5 minutes for his taxi to honk by her block. The girl rushed by the window, noticing that Inuyasha was drumming his fingers on the outside of his door expectantly.

"What are you waiting, woman? Grab a bunch of clothes and come here," he yelled up at her, unintentionally sparking her ire.

"Stop screaming at me," she yelled.

"You're doing it too," he yelled back. If she'd been in better mood, she'd laugh at the absurdity of this silly, verbal fight.

"That's because I can't hear you!"

"Well it's the same reason why I'm doing it.'

"Hey," an angry bystander yelled at the both of them, and suddenly feeling quite ashamed, Kagome went back into her apartment to pack a few clothes and take all her important documents before leaving. She had no idea what she was doing or why she was accepting Inuyasha's decision, but she felt safer with him anyway. And it seemed like he knew more about this; was he involved?

It was when it dawned on her. _For I~_ Inuyasha started with an I.

Oh, crap. Why couldn't she have befriended a normal, _human_ taxi driver?

* * *

Inuyasha parked his car in a place he knew Naraku wouldn't look.

"Stay here, okay? I'm going to look into something. Don't get out of the car, hear me?" he told Kagome, his eyes trying to communicate more of the danger she was in without having to say the words, and he wasn't sure Kagome understood; she seemed in a haze.

"Uh-huh." She looked around nervously, as if only now noticing how suspicious this place was. "Where are we anyway?"

"Somewhere safe."

"Safe?" she snapped. "That's it, Inuyasha. What's happening? I'm not getting killed soon, am I? Who's gonna help the kids?"

He almost laughed at her cuteness; she was just too funny when she thought she was dying.

"No one's gonna get killed, don't worry. But it's best if you keep it on the down low for a while. Hence, you're going to stay with me." Then he shut the car door and ignored any protests she might have, gesturing her to be silent once again. His smile was warm when she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, pushing herself back into the passenger seat.

When he walked away she made a face, pulled down the window and cried out, "What if I don't wanna live with you?" What she got in return was the sound of laughter.

As soon as he was in the building, Inuyasha retook the same steps as every time he came to see Naraku. It was no pleasure to be in this hell when he didn't have a 'job' to do or anything to deliver. Or any spying to do. It seemed that the bastard was ready for this visit; there were guards everywhere and they weren't friendly, judging by the way they looked at the 'intruder'.

There was an elevator and Inuyasha was pretty obvious when he deliberately watched the camera he knew was hidden in the upward corner and unpacked his chewing gum, starting to chew for a while, looking quite defiant. Then he spit the gum, purposely watching the camera.

His breath was normal, unhurried when the elevator doors opened; he wanted to ooze confidence. He took measured steps on the hall and didn't knock when he reached Naraku.

The man seemed furious, but Inuyasha didn't care; he'd messed with the wrong hanyou.

"I suppose you know why I'm here," the half dog demon said composedly, proving that he could be intimidating if he wanted to.

"Did you think I would not notice?" the drug dealer retorted. Inuyasha's heart picked up pace, but he kept his cool. He was in the open now, but if he'd been Naraku, he would have expected this from himself.

With a cocky smirk, the hanyou shrugged and raised his eyebrows. "Wow, I must have thought you were an idiot."

The gruesome man's eyebrows scrunched together, and Inuyasha realized Kagome would find him quite funny.

"How very disappointing," Naraku hissed, rounding his desk and looking Inuyasha in the eyes. He was a good two inches shorter than the dog demon, but the fact that he had his thugs waiting for him at every corner made him that much more dangerous.

"And now you're gonna tell me you weren't expecting it."

Smirking, the conniving spider lit himself a cigarette, looking at the floor as if he found it amusing.

"Expecting it? No. Judging it as a faint possibility? That one, maybe, yes. But really, dear puppy. You don't have the balls to stand up to someone."

The moment the last sentence left his lips he found himself almost lying with his back on his desk, a very angry dog demon towering above him.

"Really? Why don't you say that to my claws?" he asked in pure rage, showing him the lethal weapons. Naraku frowned in defiance, brushing Inuyasha off him.

"Get away if you don't want me to call my boys."

"Right, but I'm not doing your jobs anymore," Inuyasha challenged.

"And I'm going to resume my other activities," Naraku responded.

"Go ahead, _try_," the hanyou hissed.

In other words, war.

* * *

It wasn't odd that she's said yes to moving with him in a heartbeat, was it? Kagome didn't want him to think of her as a desperate woman. She really, really liked him and was incredibly excited to live with him, but how did he feel about that? What if he was doing it out of guilt and nothing else? If he was involved, then he had surely done something to involve her, too, since she'd been the one to receive the message meant for him. That clearly meant he felt remorse and had taken her under his wing out of necessity and guilt.

That sounded horrible; she didn't even want to think about it any more.

So when he returned to the car, obviously pissed, she didn't say a word. When he asked her questions she was shy in answering, and when he asked her if she was okay she only nodded.

He frowned.

"Here we are," he said, pointing at the block behind them. Kagome inspected it and found it to be surprisingly nice.

"If you're so old," she wondered, "how come you're not ridiculously rich?" It made sense that a man that had lived so long would not have found the time to invest or do something to gain a lot of money.

"I _am_ rich, but I don't flaunt it," he replied.

Her eyes were huge at that moment, then she looked horribly angered. For a second he was afraid of her.

"So all this time I was looking for sponsors and you couldn't help me?"

"Hold your horses, woman," he snapped. "Who do you think THinc. is?" His and his brother's company that was one of her regular sponsors.

"You _own_ THinc?" she asked, her eyes wider than onions.

"Yeah, along with my brother," he answered nervously, feeling suddenly awkward.

It was the second time she was surprised. "You have a brother?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but we don't get along very well. Actually, haven't seen him for a few decades."

Decades? Kagome gulped.

"So why did he agree to being my sponsor if you two don't get along well?" Kagome asked out of sheer curiosity, wondering if she was supposed to like Inuyasha's smug smirk.

"Firstly, it would do well to our image. Secondly, I blackmailed him."

Great. Kagome sighed. So she was to live with this rich guy who was two centuries older than she, a guy she liked a lot and she wouldn't mind marry.

Actually, she didn't mind at all.


	6. Willing to Try: Laying the foundation

**Willing to Try**

* * *

It had gotten a lot more physical. Inuyasha was amazed by how far they'd gotten with this bond of theirs in only a week. Truth was, he was more and more at a loss about how to hide his growing feelings for the small miracle woman that was Kagome from _her_. And maybe he was biased, or maybe it was wishful thinking, but times like this, when they were sitting next to each other, her head on his shoulder, their eyes glued to the television screen watching an intense show, he could swear she felt something for him, in return. He could almost _feel_ a sizzling pressure in the air, like a weight suffocating them both, like a secret needing to be exposed, but still too premature for such a step. Her hand, small and gentle, it rested on his thigh, squeezing it at times, when the unpredictability of the show got the best of her reflexes.

Tonight more than usual, he was on edge.

It wasn't just her scent that was teasing him into having dirty thoughts. The way she smiled, like she knew something he didn't, it caught his eyes and gripped his heart, making it jump around in his chest.

He remembered these feelings from before. They were new and empowering and exciting, but they were dangerous and uncertain.

He was entering unguarded territory and it made him feel vulnerable, like his heart was laid out in the open, available for public scrutiny.

It could only be viewed as bad luck, how when he fell, he always fell hard. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of Kikyou, and even further from his wish-list was a broken heart. Yet the feelings growing roots inside of him challenged even those he'd had for Kikyou, and it was more than enough to scare an adult male out of a relationship, much less _him_ out of this... _friendship_-thing they'd developed.

But as much as he sometimes felt like fleeing, he remembered Kagome was in danger, and he remembered whose fault it was.

_I'm such an idiot._

He looked at her and chuckled at the sight of her closed eyes. Even asleep she was so beautiful.

Gently, he picked her up and tried to ignore the loose grip of her arms around his neck until he placed her on the bed, under warm covers.

His bed.

Lately, he'd taken to sleeping on the couch, for Kagome's sake. She deserved proper comfort, especially now that she couldn't have that of her own apartment.

"In'yasha..."

The two hundred and twenty year old half demon stopped dead in his tracks right before opening the door.

_It can't be._

The sleep-induced mumble of his name tumbling off her lips wasn't something uncommon, he'd learned the past week, but the moan following it certainly was. And if figuring out the nature of the sound wouldn't be hard for a human, the scent surrounding this woman and what it did to Inuyasha's hanyou senses surely pinpointed the kind of dream Kagome was having. About him.

_Kami..._

Gulping uneasily, Inuyasha tried to fight his more demonic instincts that were rising to the surface. In the past week he'd kept telling himself that the visions of them together like a mated pair had just been luxurious concoctions of his overactive imagination driven by the frustrations of a love-deprived life, but this was getting serious, because the minute her amazing scent started gradually chasing away everything human in him, the very second he was placed face-to-face with the option of making Kagome his, he felt as though snapping would be inevitable. He _wanted_ to snap. Not only that, but his blood was infatuated with the idea of possessing her, and it showed in the hanyou's reddening eyes.

_Dammit. Back down. Back. Down._

But it wouldn't, and so Inuyasha was forced into a decision that he may later regret, but it was the only thing he could do at the moment, since running away and leaving her defenseless was not an option.

Against his better judgment, the hanyou walked to the side of her – actually, _his_ – bed, and hovered above her, shaking her shoulder gently.

"Kagome? Wake up. You have to get up."

"Mmmm..."

When she leaned into his hand he almost panicked, but an emerging protectiveness towards her drove him to want to keep her safe from himself above anything else.

So he insisted.

"Kagome, I know you don't want to, but wake up. Hey," he shook her, "wake up. _Now_."

Maybe it was the motion or maybe it was his grave tone with a distinctively demonic quality that made her eyes open abruptly, but he didn't care about reasons.

His first instinct was to breathe relieved now that she was aware of herself and of him, but the scent of her arousal persisted, he noticed, and it was not how he'd envisioned this. His eyes rolled into the back of his head in a display of brief weakness, but Kagome saw it even in the dim light.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

"What were you dreaming about?"

"Huh?"

"Your dream... what was it about?"

Kagome's eyes nearly crossed in an attempt to remember any dreams she might've had, but then flashing scenes of torrid lovemaking revealed herself and the man in front of her in quite a lot of positions. A wave of heat spread throughout her entire body and she realized he was probably as aware of it by now as she was, if his tortured expression was any indication.

"I don't know what you want from me," she told him squarely.

"I don't know, either. On a second thought, don't tell me," he said, pulling away to leave the room as the pheromones surrounding Kagome were wreaking more and more havoc on his already thin self-control.

"Hey, stop. Look at me." Grabbing his face with her hands before he could escape, she forced his gaze to focus on hers. "Just... tell me what's wrong, Inuyasha."

She was going to force it out of him. They both knew what the problem was, but that didn't mean they were on the same wavelength about dealing with it.

He wanted to repress it. She wanted to hear it.

"The timing's not right," he complained, looking much like a man in agony. It was right about then that she realized how much it bothered him. It had to go deeper than just her dream. He was likely going to admit to much more than just being affected by her arousal. The thought unleashed dozens of ideas that had crossed her mind for the past weak.

If she was honest with herself, the dream was no coincidence.

It had started quite unexpectedly. She'd been attracted to him since before, but living with him, experiencing a softer, homey side of Inuyasha that only she was privy to, watching his towel-only covered body after showering, they all piled up and the outcome was inevitable.

He was lucky all she'd done was dream, because she could have just _pounced_.

Breathing deeply, Kagome grabbed his hand to pull him into a seated position on the bed next to her, and without having to say the words, he understood immediately.

"Do you really want to pretend like we already had this talk?"

When he didn't answer, she looked him straight in the eyes, saying firmly, "I want you to tell me what's bothering you."

Oddly, she couldn't shake the residual heat left over from the dream, and she could see how it affected him. Wiping his sweaty forehead with her palm, she waited for him to find his words.

It was something they were going to have to get out in the open if they wanted to live together for a while. She couldn't just turn off her emotions, and apparently neither could he.

"Tell me," she coaxed, and he looked away.

"I brought you here after you fell asleep on the couch. I was gonna leave you there, but then I figured you were sleeping deeply enough that carrying you to my room wouldn't wake you up. I was right," he said and looked back at her, the burn in his gaze stealing her breath.

His heart was racing crazily when she bit her lower lip expectantly.

"And then you _moaned_ my name."

Color rushed to Kagome's cheeks, but not from embarrassment. He realized this when a strong whiff of the intimate scent he'd come to know as her arousal slapped him across the face with renewed intensity. Without permission, a groan of matching desire left his lips, drawing her attention to them.

It was a moment like in the movies, with both of them so in tune with each other, their gazes glued to the other's lips, both waiting for wheels to be set in motion.

But neither made a move and soon the fog lifted, making Kagome gulp and look away as Inuyasha exhaled deeply.

"We're not very good at this," she said, looking back at him with a small smile, realizing how ridiculous they were, sitting there and shutting up.

"No, we're not," he agreed, but didn't offer more. He'd wanted some time to sort out his feelings before letting her know them. Everything seemed to happen too fast, even though he'd had months to analyze her affect on him. Still, he wasn't ready for any life-changing decisions right now. The wound left by Kikyou's death was still too raw, the memory of his failure to protect what was his was too fresh, and he couldn't allow himself to develop another bond that could be severed in a flash. "Maybe we should think this through first. I don't know, feels kinda like we're rushing it."

"We're not," she shook her head. "If we're not honest with each other right now, things'll keep piling up. First it's gonna get awkward, and then _who knows_ what's gonna happen. We _need_ to talk about it, Inuyasha."

Grunting in annoyance, he crossed his arms against his chest.

"Fine, I'll go first," Kagome offered, desperately trying to remain calm herself. Inside, she was a tempest dying to be unleashed, but she would keep her cool as long as she was on a mission to get him to talk. Breathing deeply, she started, "When I was in Africa I had a hard time dodging Kouga's advances all the time."

"What's Kouga have to do with us?"

"Bear with me for a while, ok? As I was saying, Kouga was extremely insistent, he wouldn't take no for an answer, until I told him I already had a boyfriend." Looking him straight in the eyes, Kagome swallowed thickly. "When I told him that, it was you I had in mind." Before he could cower away at her admission, she hurried to explain. "Seems to me we've become _very_ close, Inuyasha, and I know I'm not the only one to feel that way. I keep trying to remember how it was like when you were just this annoying taxi driver I kept bumping into and I was this whiny kid with no experience of life, but the truth is I can't. I can't look at you and not have at least a tiny rush of something exhilarating, and I can't turn my back on it, pretending I don't feel like I do, because I _like_ _it_. I like how sometimes you make my heart race and I like how I sometimes make it hard for you to breathe. You wanna know what else I liked?"

Inching closer to him, Kagome almost laughed at his expression. It was so obvious he was restraining himself from pinning her against the bed that even a blind man could surely notice it.

"The dream I had about us last night," she said, "I liked it."

Inuyasha gulped loudly and cursed mentally, realizing how little control he had over his actions at that moment. He wanted to tell Kagome that he felt the same way, but he also wanted to tell her that unlike her, he was far from being able to have a calm conversation. His blood was boiling inside his veins, filling him with scorching fire as her scent tickled his senses mercilessly, and he was powerless to stop the surge of emotion.

"Kagome, don't."

"Look," she sighed, "all I'm saying is, you shouldn't hide it. We don't have to do anything about it right now, just let it be and see where it takes us, but I don't want you to hide it. We can't be one of those people who feel something for each other, but they never say a word – that's tragic. Just... don't put up a mask, ok?"

"Fine, but let's take it slowly," he suggested, his face visibly more relaxed.

"My thoughts exactly," she agreed with a smile, pulling back under the covers and patting the bed next to her. "Join me?"

"How's that taking things slow?" he asked, cocking a seemingly casual eyebrow, but otherwise unable to disguise his growing excitement.

"I meant, sleep next to me, Inuyasha, I didn't say, 'Let's have sex,' did I?"

Jumping to his feet as though she'd burned him, the half demon rushed for the door, stopping right before opening it.

"You don't know what you're saying, Kagome. We wanted to take it slow, we take it slow. There's no in between, ok? For me, there's no in between."

And that was as much as he was willing to confess before he left her room – _his,_ really – to sleep on the couch, which was much safer.

But at least he knew he had a foundation to lay the bricks on now.


End file.
